Ekeko – The Smoking God of Prosperity

One the best symbols of prosperity is Ekeko, the Smoking God of Prosperity. This is a good luck god who brings abundance and good fortune. It is found mostly in Peru, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, and Northern Chile. People call him Tiwanakan, the God of Abundance. It is shown as a man with a moustache with traditional clothes.

Decorations for Ekeko

The figure is shown to carry many parcels. These can contain anything from food or candy to jewels and gemstones. At times, miniature household items will be attached to the figure. They may also attach certificates, diplomas, money, and other precious things. The importance is that the doll represents what one hopes to become. So, if money is attached to the doll, then the person hopes to become wealthy. If there are diplomas attached, the person hopes to become learned.

Lighting the cigarette

The peculiarity of the smoking god of prosperity is that people place a lighted cigarette in the mouth of the statue. Ekeko will have the lighted cigarette in his mouth and the longer the cigarette stays in his mouth, the better are the chances of your wish coming true. But, you must buy one smoking Ekeko doll if you wish to put a cigarette into its mouth. Not all the dolls have an opening for the cigarette.

Keep only one doll

One of the things you must watch for is that you should have only one Ekeko doll in the house at one time. If you have more than one, they will begin to start quarrelling. So, things will get messy and Ekeko will be busy fighting the other instead of granting your wishes. Likewise, single women must not let Ekeko into their home. He will stop all other male suitors from approaching the woman and will want to have the woman for himself. But, if the woman is already married, then Ekeko will not cause trouble to the husband. He will be busy granting wishes.

Getting the gift

If you receive Ekeko as a gift, then he becomes more powerful. The wishes will be granted faster. The generosity of Ekeko will increase, and intent of the giver will be more powerful. If you really want something good to happen to someone, you should give your Ekeko away to them. This will make their dream come true.

When you bring Ekeko into the house, keep him in a honourable place. He must be comfortable and the surroundings should be respectful. You should not put him away in to some dark corner or keep him in a closed cupboard.

Festival for Ekeko

Alasitas festival is a huge affair in Bolivia. It begins on January 24th every year. The shaman blesses the houses of those who want to get the blessing. He will carry Ekeko into the house and give his blessings. The point here is that even the Catholic church participates in this by giving its blessings to the gifts that people give to Ekeko.

You have a similar festival in Peru. Puno in Peru is the place to visit and the thousands attend the celebrations each year. The festival takes place in May.